The Good Children
by tinylexie
Summary: Regulus has had enough of the fighting between Sirius and their parents, and he needs a little break from it. Regulus decides to visit his cousin Narcissa for a little while. Mentions of the relationship between Sirius and Regulus and the former relationship between Andromeda and Narcissa.


**Author's Note****: This story takes place during the winter holidays in Regulus's first year and Narcissa's seventh year.**

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><p>Regulus sat beside Narcissa on her bed.<p>

"I'm glad that your parents allowed me to come over," Regulus remarked, "especially on such short notice."

"You know that my parents adore you," Narcissa smiled. "Besides, I'm always happy to see you. You've always been better company than Bella. I take it, though, that you were in such a hurry to come over here because of Sirius."

"Yes," Regulus confirmed. "Father and Mother were having yet another argument with him, and I had enough of all the yelling and threats. I don't know what's wrong with my brother, Cissy. He's always acted as if he was better than me, but it's gotten even worse since he got Sorted into Gryffindor and became friends with that James Potter."

A look of disdain passed over Narcissa's face at the mention of the Potter boy's name.

"That family is truly shameful," she remarked, "and from what I've heard, that James Potter has always been a spoiled brat. He and Sirius truly are perfect for each other."

"I just wish that Sirius would stop starting fights when he's home," Regulus sighed. "I thought that I would never hear the end of it when he was Sorted into Gryffindor, but just when things finally began to calm down, he just had to mock me for being Sorted into Slytherin. And he did it right in front of Father and Mother. He almost made me feel as if being in Slytherin is a shameful thing."

"Don't let Sirius get to you," Narcissa replied. "He's always been nothing but an idiotic bully. He's the one that should be ashamed, not you."

"He's always calling me weak and pathetic for not defying Father and Mother like he does," Regulus responded. "He takes pride in being a rebel, and he thinks less of me for not being one as well."

"Sirius is going to end up just like Andromeda," Narcissa remarked, a very subtle trace of sadness in her voice.

Regulus looked at Narcissa in surprise. He had been told that they were not to ever acknowledge Andromeda's existence.

"There was a time in which I did love Andromeda," Narcissa said, seeing the shocked expression on her cousin's face. "Her betrayal almost broke my heart. And even though I know that you and Sirius have never been close, I know it would make you sad if he was disowned as well."

"Why can't Sirius be a good child like us?" Regulus asked. "Why does he have to be so different? Why can't he just follow the rules like I do?"

"I've often asked myself the same questions when it came to Andromeda," Narcissa responded.

"Do they care at all about the pain they're causing us?" Regulus asked, his young voice now getting angry. "Do they ever stop, even for a moment, to think about the impact that their actions are having on us? You're right, Cissy. I do love Sirius, but I hate the rift that he is creating between us and him. But whenever I try to tell him this, he just sneers at me and acts as if I'm nothing more than some insignificant worm to him. Does he care at all about me? Or does he only care about doing what _he_ wants, regardless of the consequences?"

Narcissa wrapped a gentle arm around her cousin.

"I understand exactly how you're feeling, Reggie," she said. "I hated it every time Andromeda started a fight with my parents or with Bella because she insisted on challenging their beliefs at every turn. And like Sirius, Andromeda thought that made her better than us. I still remember how Andromeda looked at me with such anger when I didn't come to her defense on the day she was disowned. I wanted to break down so badly that day. But a part of me was also angry. How dare Andromeda try to make me feel guilty when _she_ was the one who did wrong, not me.

"Why should I be ashamed to be a Pureblood? And why should I be ashamed of our beliefs? Did Andromeda really expect me to be disowned as well just to please her? Well, what about me? Why couldn't she have done what was necessary to please me for a change? But no, it was always about what _Andromeda_ wanted. She never cared about how her actions hurt everyone else. She only cared about satisfying her own lust. Well, I hope she's happy with her Mudblood, because if she isn't, she won't be receiving any sympathy with me. She made her choice, and she's going to have to live with it."

Narcissa took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

"I want you to know, Reggie," she finally managed to say, "that you're always welcomed to come see me whenever you need to talk. You don't have to be alone in this. Even if Sirius doesn't care about you, I do and I always will. We are family, and that actually means something to me, even though it clearly meant nothing to Andromeda. Hopefully Sirius will wise up before it's too late."

"Thank you, Cissy," Regulus returned. "I really appreciate that. Us good children, after all, need to stick together."

Narcissa smiled fondly at her cousin as she hugged him.

"Yes, we do," she agreed. "Yes, we do."


End file.
